424 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



dent had led to the destruction on this spot of almost the 

 whole of a small herd. The Thakur and villagers were going 

 up the narrow path, by which alone it is accessible, to pay 

 their annual devotions to the god of the hill. The procession 

 was accompanied by the noise of drums and much shouting 

 in honour of the deity; and they were wholly unaware that 

 they were driving before them a herd of five elephants which 

 had been ahead of them on the path. Arrived at the summit, 

 and the noise still pursuiug them, the elephants became panic- 

 stricken, and four of them tried to descend on the opposite 

 side. Here a slope of loose shingle led down from the top, 

 ending in a sheer cliff. Once embarked on this there was no 

 retreat for their ponderous weight, and the poor brutes were 

 hurried over the perpendicular fall. The fifth the big tusker 

 whom I had so recently encountered it was said charged 

 back through the procession, scattering them like chaff, and 

 made his escape down the path. 



On the 26th, B. rejoined me, having covered a great extent 

 of country by dint of hard marching, and explored the eastern 

 portion of the sal forest and elephant country which belongs 

 to the Th&kur of Uprora. He had seen little game, and had 

 never stayed to shoot. From Malm we proceeded again 

 together, due north, to examine the country between this and 

 Amarkantak ; and till the end of the month we travelled on 

 through an unbroken forest of the sal tree. This wild is very 

 scantily peopled by a few utterly primitive Bhumi^s, a sight 

 of whom could only be secured by sending on an embassy of 

 some of their own tribesmen whom we took with us from 

 Malm. On one occasion I had wandered off the elephant 

 track, that served for a road in these parts, into the thick sal 

 forest, without a guide, trusting to regain it after a short 

 detour. But the country is here so level, and the prospect so 



